Big Ten Wrestlers Prepare for NCAA Championships

Photo by Mitchell Layton

NCAA BRACKETS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Wrestlers from all 14 Big Ten schools will head to Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio to compete in the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which begin Thursday, March 19 and conclude Saturday, March 21.

Penn State, Ohio State and Nebraska led the way with 10 wrestlers each, followed by Iowa (9), Rutgers (9), Illinois (8), Wisconsin (8), Indiana (6), Michigan (6), Minnesota (6), Maryland (4), Purdue (4), Michigan State (2) and Northwestern (2).

The Big Ten will send 94 wrestlers to the NCAAs with 86 earning automatic qualification and eight receiving at-large berths. Big Ten wrestlers have claimed eight No. 1 seeds with Penn State holding seven of those spots. The top-seeded competitors are: Penn State’s Luke Lilledhal (125), Shayne Van Ness (149), PJ Duke (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Levi Haines (174), Rocco Welsh (184) and Josh Barr (197) along with Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez (141), a two-time national champion. Mendez leads a group of returning NCAA champions which includes Lucas Byrd of Illinois (133), Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor (157), Penn State’s Mesenbrink (165) and Haines, who won a 157-pound title in 2024 and now competes at 174.

The conference will have at least eight wrestlers in all 10 weight classes with the largest representation (10) coming at 125-, 133-, 149-, 165-, 174- and 197-pounds.

The Big Ten has won 18-consecutive national championships, boosted by Penn State’s 11 titles in 13 years. Six Big Ten schools have claimed NCAA titles, led by Iowa with 24. Penn State won its 12th national championship in 2025. Minnesota follows with three national titles, while Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State own one banner each.